In the early hours of Tuesday morning an Israeli search and rescue delegation, named Operation Olive Branch, landed in Turkey to aid in the continued search for the survivors of three severe earthquakes which have devastated southern Turkey and Syria. The team of 150 highly trained rescue workers, medical personnel and support staff is led by the commander of the IDF Search and Rescue Brigade.

Overnight, the death toll in Turkey and Syria has climbed collectively to over 5,000 dead and over 20,500 wounded, and a third quake, measured 5.5 on the Richter scale, added to the already desperate situation faced by the region. Israel’s rescue team will join rescue and medical teams sent by India, the United States, the United Kingdom, and others. Iran and Iraq have sent missions to Syria. The BBC, who reported the international rescue missions already on the ground, neglected to mention the Israeli team.

The IDF now denies sending any aid to Syria, despite the desperate situation and earlier reports to the contrary.

Please pray that Operation Olive Branch would be able to save lives in cooperation with other teams. Please pray for strength, alertness, and efficiency for the rescue and medical teams. Lastly, please pray that this would be an opportunity to build international cooperation between Israel and other nations.